


Collaboration

by PlanetClare



Category: Black Widow (Comics), Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier, Captain America - All Media Types, James "Bucky" Barnes (Comics), Marvel (Comics), Sam Wilson (Comics), Winter Soldier (Comics), winterwidow - Fandom
Genre: Abandonment, Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson Friendship, Bucky Barnes Cooks, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Celebrations, Collaboration, F/M, Frenemies Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson, Melancholy, Protective Natasha, Rivalry, Sam Wilson Cooks, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-11 00:45:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12311286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlanetClare/pseuds/PlanetClare
Summary: Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson both want to make a birthday dinner for their friend Steve Rogers. When Natasha Romanov suggests that they work together, the collaboration turns competitive.





	Collaboration

“Thanks again for the flowers, James,” Natasha cooed as she stood at the kitchen counter trimming the stems of a dozen yellow roses and placing them into a vase.

“You’re welcome, ‘Czarina,’ Bucky replied as he walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and buried his face in her cascading red hair.

“I love the color. Red is the color of passion, but yellow is the color of adoration. Did you know that when you chose them?”

“Yes, I did, he admitted with a grin.

“I’ll thank you properly later,” she said leaning back against his muscular chest.

Tilting his head down and to the right, he kissed her neck tenderly.

“What’s wrong with thanking me right now?” he wondered.

“James, it’s already after 3:00, and we need to start preparing things for Steve’s birthday dinner. We can’t spend the rest of the day in bed,” Natasha reminded him.

“Why not?’ Bucky asked still nibbling at her neck.

“James, are you even listening to me?”

Suddenly, Natasha’s cell phone rang as it rested on the dining table.

“Would you get that, dear?”

Bucky walked over and picked up her phone. Pressing the answer button, he said, “Hello?”

“Hey, man. Put ‘Tasha on the phone.”

Sarcastically, Bucky replied, “Oh, hey, Bucky! How are you? I’m fine, thanks. How are you, Sam?”

After a short pause, Sam asked, “Is ‘Tasha there or not?”

Bucky sighed, pressed the speaker button, and placed Natasha’s phone on the counter next to her.

“It’s Sam,” he said with a sneer.

“Hey, Sam! What’s up?”

“Hey, ‘Tasha! Do you know what today is?”

“Uh...July 4th,” she replied.

“Yeah, and it’s also Steve’s birthday. Do you know where he is?”

“Is that a trick question?”

“No. I’ve been calling and texting him, but he hasn’t answered,” Sam informed her.

“Well, maybe he’s at Sharon’s place. Do you need him for something?”

“I was going to cook dinner for him,” Sam admitted.

“Oh, yeah? When did you decide that?” Bucky asked accusingly.

“Yesterday.”

“Well, that’s too bad, pal, because he’s coming to Nat’s and _I’m_ cooking for him,” said the assassin.

“Didn’t he have dinner with you _last_ year?” challenged Sam.

“Yeah...so what?” replied Bucky blankly.

“So, why can’t he have dinner with _me_ this year?”

“Because he’s having dinner with _us_ ,” Bucky insisted becoming annoyed.

“Boys! Why don’t you just collaborate?” suggested Natasha.

“What?” the two men asked with surprise.

“Sam, why don’t you come over, and you can _both_ cook for Steve?”

‘NO!’ Bucky mouthed to Natasha as he waved his hands in front of himself.

After a moment of thought, Sam replied, “Well...”

“It’s the easiest way to solve this,” she advised.

“Well, okay,” Sam agreed.

Bucky closed his eyes and slammed the palm of his right hand against his forehead.

“We’ll see you around 4:00 then,” Natasha decided.

“See ya!” Sam agreed and ended the call.

Bucky took Natasha’s phone and returned it to the dining table.

“What did you do that for?” he asked.

“I thought I was helping,” she explained.

“Great! Now, we’re spending the evening with Sam “Snarky” Wilson.”

“He only wants to do something nice for Steve. It’ll be okay. You might even have a nice time.”

Scoffing, Bucky sat down at the table and rested his head in his hands.

“It’ll be all right. You’ll see,” Natasha assured him as she walked over and kissed him on the top of his head.

Bucky sighed and said, “I wish I could believe you.”

*  *  *  *  *  *

At 4:00, Bucky and Natasha heard a knock at the door.

“‘Snarky’ is here,” remarked Bucky.

“At ease, soldier,” Natasha warned him as she walked to the door and opened it.

“Hi, Sam! Come on in,” she greeted him as she stepped aside to let him enter.

“Hey, ‘Tasha,” he replied walking in with a grocery bag in each hand. The tall soldier’s grey t-shirt showed off his muscular biceps and his jeans dark blue jeans looked brand new.

“What’s all that?” she asked curiously.

“Dinner,” Sam advised as he walked to the kitchen.

“But James already shopped for dinner,” she informed him.

“Well, I decided to cook spaghetti for Steve, so I brought everything over.”

Joining them, Bucky said, “That’s too bad because we’re having steak tonight. Can’t you hear it sizzle?” he asked sarcastically and made a sizzling sound as he put his hand to his right ear.

“Steak? Are you serious?” asked Sam.

“Look, you’re horning in on _our_ dinner, pal. You’re eating what _I’m_ cooking, or you can eat what _he’s_ having,” the assassin said pointing down at his therapy cat, Sébastien, who sat nearby next to his food bowl.

“James, Sam is our guest, so there’s no need to be rude,” Natasha remarked.

Putting down his groceries, Sam agreed. “That’s right, player.”

“But I already marinated the steaks,” protested Bucky.

“James, let me handle this,” Natasha warned.

Turning to Sam, she tried to reason with him.

“Sam, you did decide to cook at the last minute and you are joining our dinner that was planned weeks ago. The steaks are already marinating but your spaghetti will keep. Why don’t you and James each work on a side dish?” she suggested with a persuasive smile.

Sighing, Sam reluctantly agreed.

“Okay, ‘Tasha. I’ll do it for you.”

Disapprovingly, Bucky slowly shook his head from side to side.

“When is Steve due?” Sam asked.

“He’ll be here around 5:00, but we shouldn’t start the steaks until he arrives. Otherwise, they could overcook. If you’d like, you can start preparing your side dish, though.”

“Cool. I brought some carrots and broccoli to steam,” Sam replied.

“I’ll do a salad,” Bucky volunteered.

“Good! I’ll leave you to it, then,” Natasha replied as she walked into the living room.

“Where are you going?” he asked confused.

“Oh, I’ll be on the sofa catching up on my reading. Knock yourselves out, boys,” she said with a broad smile.

The two men eyed each other for a moment and then took turns washing their hands at the sink.

Sam began opening cabinet doors until he found a metal strainer in which to steam the carrots and broccoli florets.

Bucky watched him for a few moments and then looked in a few cabinets. Finally, he called to Natasha, “Babe, where’s your cutting board?”

“It’s in the cabinet above the dishwasher,” she replied without looking up from her magazine.

“Thanks!” he said as he opened the door and removed it.

Placing the cutting board on the counter, Bucky pulled a knife from a drawer and laid it next to the board. He walked to the refrigerator and opened the door.

Looking around, he called to Natasha, “Babe, where’d you put the lettuce?”

“It’s in the crisper, darling,” she advised him from her place on the sofa.

‘Crisper...I should have known that,’ the assassin thought to himself as he opened the drawer and removed two heads of Romaine lettuce and celery. Cutting their ends off, he placed the vegetables in a colander and rinsed them thoroughly. Leaving them in the colander, Bucky opened a cabinet and looked inside.

“Babe?”

“Yes, James?”

“Where’s the big bowl?”

“You mean the salad bowl?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s in the cabinet below the counter you’re working at.”

“Thanks!”

As he leaned against the counter with his arms folded, Sam had been observing Bucky.

“Man, have you ever cooked before?” he asked skeptically.

“Yes, I have, for your information. Just mind your own business and cook your vegetables,” Bucky snapped.

“Babe? Where are the cucumbers?” he called.

Without responding, Natasha put down her magazine and walked to the kitchen. She reached into the refrigerator and retrieved two cucumbers as well as three large tomatoes. The spy then opened a drawer and removed a large serving fork and spoon and laid them next to the salad bowl. She then paused to receive a kiss from the assassin.                                                                               

Bucky smiled broadly as he watched her walked toward the sofa without saying a word.

“Some cook _you_ are. ‘Tasha’s doing all the work. I thought you lived here. Why don’t you know where anything is?” Sam remarked.

“I don’t _live_ here – I _stay_ here sometimes, and I thought I told you to mind your own business, bird brain,” Bucky sniped as he began to chop the lettuce.

“I’ll mind my own business and put your cooking to shame at the same time.”

“We’ll see about that, big mouth,” said the assassin.

Challenging his host, Sam quipped, “You don’t seem to know your way around a kitchen. Have you ever cooked before?”

Bristling, Bucky replied, “Of course I have! I may not cook often, but I can do it better than _you_ can. I’ll bet the only thing you know how to make is bird seed!”

“Okay, that makes no sense and in case you haven’t noticed, Redwing is a drone – not a real bird. Besides, what could you possibly know about food? You were fed intravenously for seventy years,” Sam reminded him.

Bucky froze as the color drained from his face.

“SAM! You apologize this instant!” Natasha yelled as she dropped her magazine and strode to the kitchen.

Sam looked guilty as he glanced at Bucky.

“Hey, man, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. It just came out of my mouth before I could stop it.”

The assassin stared down at the counter in front of him.

“It’s not like I asked to be in and out of cryostasis for seventy years.”

“I know, man. Like I said, I’m...”

Before Sam could finish his apology, Bucky spun around and hit him in the face with a ripe tomato.

“Why you...” Sam began and took a step toward the scowling assassin.

Putting her left hand on his chest, Natasha stopped him.

“What the hell’s gotten into you two? Steve will be here any minute. Do you think he wants to spend his birthday refereeing a fight between his two best friends?” she scolded.

Sam took a step back and began to wipe the tomato from his face. As he looked over at Bucky, he saw the assassin smirking at him and became enraged.

Just as Natasha thought the two had calmed down, Sam scooped up the cuttings from his carrots and broccoli and flung them at Bucky.

“Hey! I said stop it, Sam!” she warned.

With his blood beginning to boil, Bucky grabbed another tomato, lunged at Sam, and began to grind the fruit into his face.

“Dear God!” the spy said watching in horror as Bucky body slammed Sam onto the kitchen floor, pin him down with his powerful cybernetic left hand, and continue to grind the tomato into the left side of his face.

“James, stop it! You’ll hurt him!” she yelled.

“That’s what I’m trying to do!” he replied through clenched teeth.

No matter how he wriggled and squirmed, Sam could not free himself from the assassin’s powerful grip. So, he did what he had to do.

“Ow! My hair! MY HAIR!” Bucky yelped as Sam reached up and grabbed a handful of his long, dark locks.

Natasha quickly reached for a cooking magazine on the counter. Turning back toward the two men, she rolled the magazine into a tube and began to whack each of them alternately with it.

“Stop it! Stop it NOW, or I’ll use my Widow’s Bite on BOTH of you!” she angrily threatened referring to her gold, electroshock gauntlets.

Suddenly, there was a knock, and the threesome froze each looking wide-eyed toward the door.

“Damn it – that’s Steve,” Natasha said quietly.

The three rose from the floor still staring at the door. There came another knock.

Natasha looked at Bucky and then at Sam before slowly stepping into the living room. Upon reaching the door, she reluctantly opened it.

“Hi, Steve! Happy birthday,” she greeted the guest of honor.

“Thanks...‘Tasha...,” he replied staring curiously at the scraps of broccoli and carrots which found their way onto her t-shirt en route to Bucky’s face.

“Come on in,” she said stepping aside to allow him to enter.

“Is everything okay?” he asked still perplexed.

“Yeah, yeah! Everything’s fine.”

When he caught sight of Bucky and Sam who still stood motionless in the kitchen, Natasha explained, “We had a bit of an accident with the salad. Make yourself comfortable.”

Steve removed his brown leather jacket and hung it on a hook next to the door. He again looked curiously at his two friends who were covered in tomato scraps and seeds.

With her back to Steve, Natasha glared angrily at Bucky and Sam.

“Why don’t you two get cleaned up while I start the steaks?” she suggested feigning cheerfulness.

“Hey, Buck...Sam,” Steve said as the two entered the living room.

“Hey, man. Happy birthday,” Sam said as he strode past on his way to the bathroom.

“Steve...” was all that Bucky uttered.

Sensing that something was very wrong, Steve followed Natasha into the kitchen. As she quickly whisked the food scraps into a trash can, he surveyed the mess.

“‘Tasha, what –”

“Why don’t you have a seat and relax, Steve?” she interrupted trying to avoid answering any questions.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Bucky removed his soiled shirt while Sam washed the tomato residue from his face, neck, and chest.

When Sam entered the bedroom, without looking at him, Bucky quietly advised, “There’re some shirts in the top drawer.”

“Thanks, man,” Sam mumbled.

As his guest returned to the living room, Bucky stood in the bathroom picking pieces of carrots and broccoli from his hair. With his dark brown mane covering his left eye, he stopped and stared at himself in the mirror with his visible right eye. Feeling sad and alone, he returned to the bedroom and before putting on a clean blue t-shirt, he pressed the tiny button where his neck and left shoulder met. The cloaking mechanism of his left arm activated giving the cybernetic arm the appearance of flesh. Before stepping into the hallway, he took a deep breath.

When Bucky returned to the living room, the other three were laughing. He knew that they were not laughing at him, but he still felt like an outsider.

Steve noticed that Bucky’s left arm was cloaked – something the assassin only did when he was incognito or to make others feel more comfortable around him. He was among friends, so Steve wondered why the assassin had activated the device.

As Bucky walked to the kitchen, Steve quietly observed his best friend for a few moments. They had known each other almost all of their lives, so Steve could tell that something was not right with his friend.

Approaching him, Steve quietly said, “Buck, are you –”

“Hey, birthday boy! Would you like a beer?” Natasha interrupted.

“Uh...sure,” he replied turning to her. When he turned back to talk to Bucky, he was gone.

Standing now at the dining table, Bucky had silverware for four. He was about to place a set in front of each of the chairs when he heard Natasha speak.

“Oh, sweetie, let Sam do that. I need your help with something,” she said as she rose from the sofa and approached him.

Sam rose and placed the silverware as he continued to chat with Steve. Meanwhile, Natasha led Bucky back into the kitchen.

“Could you check the steaks, James?” she asked loud enough for Sam and Steve to hear.

Bucky stared at her for a moment and then grabbed an oven mitt from its hook near the stove.

“Are you all right?” she whispered to him.

“The steaks look fine,” he said after peering at them as they sizzled under the broiler.

“I finished making your salad, so I’ll put it on the table and we can get started,” she suggested.

Realizing that he was obviously still upset, Natasha quietly retrieved four teal Fiestaware salad plates from a cabinet. She knew that Bucky’s Fiestaware reminded him and Steve of their youth, so she wanted to use it for this special occasion. As she handed the plates to Sam, Steve rose from the sofa.

“‘Tasha, is there something I could help you with?”

“No, Steve. You’re the guest of honor. Just relax,” she replied with a smile.

As she began to place the plates on the table, Steve’s eyes opened wide.

“Is that Fiestaware?” he asked amazed.

“Yes, it is,” she replied glad that it seemed to cheer him. “It’s a set that James bought.”

“It’s like the plates we used to eat from when we were kids. Buck, where’d you get these?” he asked fascinated.

“I saw them in the window of a second-hand shop in New Orleans,” Bucky replied not making eye contact.

“Oh, yeah? When was that?” Steve wondered.

“Last year. Remember I went down there to visit my pal Remy?”

“Remy...? Oh, yeah – Gambit!” exclaimed Steve.

“I bought the set on the spot and had the store owner ship it to me,” Bucky said as he finally smiled nostalgically at his purchase.

“Man, you were probably the oldest fossil in that antique shop,” remarked Sam with a chuckle.

“Sam!” Natasha scolded.

Steve frowned noticing that for a few moments while discussing the plates, Bucky had cheered up. Now, his demeanor was once again melancholy.

The assassin did his best to ignore Sam’s comment as the four began to eat their salad.

Throughout the meal, Steve, Natasha and Sam joked and chatted about things that transpired during their Avengers missions. Frequently, Steve and Natasha would pull Bucky into the conversation by asking his opinion or bringing up events from his and Steve’s youth. Each time, Steve noticed that Bucky never laughed with them and was slow to smile.

Finally, Natasha began to clear the table, and Bucky rose to help her.

"Oh, you stay with Steve while Sam and I get this,” she suggested.

Rising, Sam collected the plates and followed her.

“You know you were crazy to fight with him, right? He could have killed you,” she whispered to Sam.

“I was trying to avoid that eventuality,” he replied.

“Well, a word to the wise: ‘Don’t start something you can’t finish,’” she cautioned.

As they loaded the dishwasher, she glanced at Bucky as he sat at the table.

When she and San returned, she tried to read the assassin’s expression.

“Are you all right?” she whispered.

“I’m fine,” he replied unconvincingly.

“That was a wonderful dinner, guys. Thanks so much,” Steve chirped from the dining table.

“Oh, there’s more. James has a surprise for you,” Natasha smiled.

“More?” he asked intrigued.

Bucky realized that was his cue. Upon entering the kitchen, he opened the refrigerator and retrieved a large, square white box. Placing it on the dining table, he opened the lid and revealed a cake decorated with chocolate icing and red, white and blue flowers. On the top, the words ‘Happy Birthday, Steve’ were written in white icing.

“That’s a sharp looking cake. Where’d you get it?” asked Sam.

“I made it,” Bucky informed him.

 _“You_ made it? Talk about hidden talent...” Sam remarked.

“Thanks, Buck! It’s awesome. Yellow?” Steve asked with glee.

“Your favorite,” assured Bucky.                                                    

“I’ll get the plates,” Natasha offered smiling.

As she flipped the switch to start the coffee maker, Sam called to her, “Hey, ‘Tasha? You got 100 candles?”

“No candles, pal!” Steve advised him. “We’d burn the place down.”

The four friends sipped the refreshing coffee while they enjoyed the tasty cake. Each man had a second slice, but Natasha was too full from dinner.

Noticing that the evening had become late, Steve finally said, “Well, I promised Sharon that I’d stop by to say goodnight.”

His three friends all smiled at him.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing...” Sam replied with a smirk.

After a sigh, Steve said, “Thanks for everything, guys. I _really_ enjoyed this.”

As he rose, his three friends each hugged him in turn. Steve hugged Bucky the longest and whispered, “Thanks a million, pal.”

“Yeah,” was Bucky’s one-word reply.

“Hey, I should get going, too. I’ll walk you out,” offered Sam.

Kissing his host on the cheek, he said, “‘Tasha – always a pleasure. See ya, Barnes.”

“Thanks again, ‘Tasha,” Steve said as he and Sam stepped into the hallway.

“Yeah, see you at the compound tomorrow!” she replied as she closed the door.

Turning, she realized that Bucky was gone.

“James?” she called as she looked in the kitchen. Not finding him there, she walked to the bedroom and found him lying on her bed.

“James? Are you all right?”

“Why does he hate me so much?” he wondered.

“Who – Sam? He doesn’t _hate_ you. You two are just competitive when it comes to Steve,” she advised as she sat on her side of the bed. “You both care a great deal about him and what he believes in. Steve’s your best friend and Sam’s best friend as well. It’s only natural that you would compete for his attention.”

The young assassin lay staring at the ceiling and considered what the spy said as she rose and walked to her vanity.

Just then, his cell phone buzzed in the pocket of his jeans. Pulling it out to look at the screen, he saw that it was Steve calling.

“Hey,” Bucky answered.

“Hey, pal,” replied Steve. “I want to thank you again for the great birthday dinner.”

“You’re welcome.”

“We should do it again next year.”

Bucky thought, ‘Yeah, but without Wilson.’ He replied instead, “Sounds like a plan.”

“So...uh...you want to jog in the morning – just you and me?”

Smiling, Bucky replied, “0500?”

“Yeah.”

“See you then!” the assassin said ending the call and placing his cell phone on the nightstand to his left.

“Who was that?” Natasha asked curiously as she sat brushing her cascading red hair.

“Steve,” he replied.

“You think he had a good time?” she asked turning from the mirror to look at him.                                        

“Yeah...Yeah, I think he did,” he remarked feeling better about the events of the day.

Bucky realized that Steve always had a calming effect on him. It made him feel more at ease just knowing that in the morning, he would have time alone with his best friend. He decided that he would do his best not to let Sam get to him or become a distraction. It might not be easy but he knew that for Steve’s friendship, it was worth trying.

**Author's Note:**

> © 2017 Planet Press
> 
> The Marvel characters herein are the property of Marvel Comics which retains the rights. The character of Sébastien the Cat was created by this author.


End file.
